Plasma-Material Interaction (PMI) Manager)

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Plasma-Material Interaction (PMI) Manager to lead the development of high-performance plasma-facing materials and components (PFCs) for our Eos and Helios stellarators. In this role, you will bridge plasma physics, materials engineering, and component integration to address high heat-flux management, surface erosion, and hydrogen isotope retention in quasi-axisymmetric, planar-coil stellarator architectures. You will direct in-house experimental campaigns, oversee specialized test facilities, and manage key external research and procurement partnerships to de-risk wall environments for steady-state fusion operations.

Responsibilities

• Direct the research, design, and qualification of plasma-facing materials—including first-wall armor and divertor target materials for Eos and Helios stellarators
• Oversee the preparation, execution, and analysis of PMI experiments on the Eos stellarator and dedicated in-house test facilities
• Act as the technical lead for external collaborations with national laboratories, university research groups, and commercial vendors for material synthesis, neutron irradiation testing, surface diagnostics, and PFC component procurement
• Lead the computational efforts to simulate erosion, redeposition, and thermal shock degradation in real time
• Work closely with mechanical design and physics modeling teams to translate PMI simulation and experimental data into validated inputs for plasma transport and engineering designs

Required Qualifications

• Education: Ph.D. in Materials Science, Plasma Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline
• Experience: 8+ years of technical experience in plasma-surface interactions, high-temperature materials, or magnetic confinement fusion engineering, with at least 3+ years managing technical projects or multidisciplinary teams
• Technical Expertise:
  • In-depth understanding of edge plasma dynamics, sputtering, redeposition, helium ash/hydrogen isotope retention, and high heat flux behavior
  • Practical experience designing, building, or operating plasma-facing test rigs or boundary diagnostics on magnetic confinement devices (stellarators or tokamaks)
  • Strong knowledge of materials testing, characterization methods, and procurement workflows for high-temperature and plasma-exposed materials
• Leadership & Communication: Track record of driving complex R&D initiatives, managing external vendor and research contracts, and working against tight engineering deadlines

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct exposure to fusion plasma physics, stellarator configurations, or fusion plasma divertor concepts such as X-point divertors
• Experience with computational modeling tools, including coupled plasma-transport and surface kinetics codes (SOLPS, UEDGE, EMC3-EIREN, ERO2.0, WallDYN), BCA tools (SDTrimSP, RustBCA, TRIM), and FEA thermomechanical software (ANSYS, COMSOL)

Benefits

• Salary range $130,000–$165,000
• Comprehensive health benefits (e.g., medical/dental/vision)
• Employee equity stock options
• 20 days PTO